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Section outline
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Introduction
Plant nutrition is the study of the chemical elements and compounds that are necessary for plant growth, and also of their external supply and internal metabolism.
Every organism is an open system connected to its environment by a continuous exchange of energy and materials. In the energy flow and chemical cycling that keep an ecosystem alive, plants and other photosynthetic autotrophs perform the key step of transforming inorganic compounds into organic ones. At the same time, a plant needs sunlight as its energy source for photosynthesis and raw materials, such as CO2 and inorganic ions, to synthesize organic molecules. The root and shoot systems extensively network a plant with its environment.
This block focuses on how gases are exchanged and how nutrients are transported and used by the plant to manufacture their organic molecules.
Learning objectives
At the end of the block, students will be able to:
- explain the mechanism of water absorption and mineral nutrition;
- explain the role of macro-elements and micro-elements of the nutrition of plants;
- explain the mechanism of plant transpiration;
- describe the role that chlorophylls and the other pigments found in chloroplasts play to initiate the light-dependent reactions;
- explain the role of the two energy-carrying molecules produced in the light-dependent reactions (ATP and NADPH) in the light-independent reactions;
- describe the Calvin-Benson cycle in terms of its reactants and products;
- explain how C-4 photosynthesis provides an advantage for plants in certain environments;
measure physiological processes in plant under given environmental conditions.
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